Location: Two and a half hours from central Tokyo, easy walking distance from the picturesque Happo village, close as can be to the exhilarating Happoone Olympic Slopes.

Nothing is Basic

A floor-to-ceiling glass wine room sits beside a marble cocktail bar and a teppanyaki counter. The gymnasium features sixteen of the latest machines released by Technogym and the cutting edge PowerPlate pro-6. The fireplace is transparent, the pool table is glass-topped, a 3D plasma TV broadcasts thousands of on-demand music and movies. The roof, the drive-way, the viewing balcony are all heated.

Like Magic…

All of these features are linked to a home automation system, operated in anticipation or in an instant via numerous discreetly located ipads throughout the property. Mood settings fix the entire chalet to your state of mind. The simple to use system can be programmed to gradually open the blinds at the hour you choose to wake, gently turn up the lights and even play your song of choice. Entering the house at night, it will considerately raise the cocktail bar, light up the fire and draw the blinds slightly, for privacy. The heating responds to snowfall, adjusting accordingly to optimize temperature. As the owner, Eloise Sutton-Kirby, says the ‘possibilities are infinite’.

A Room with a View…

Anyone would pay far above the odds to rent a garden shed if it sat on One Happo’s spot. Yet, admittedly, the immense glass windows would be missed. Every bedroom has a breathtaking view, either of the Habuka mountain range or of the secluded Wadano forest. You can’t do these landscapes justice with words; take a look for yourself.